


Together

by orphan_account



Category: Leverage
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 22:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10751127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Having a relationship is a challenge.





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> So I went through old fic files I found on a flash drive, and look what I found: an old Eliot/Hardison fic I wrote a few years ago. Have a read if you like. :)

Hardison was good at pretending that he had a big ego, that nothing could destroy his confidence. He was a talented man after all, knew how to do his job. He had been a teenager when he had discovered said talents for the first time, and had steadily worked on them. If there was something he knew, it was hard work, and he was grateful that Nana had taught him that nothing in the world was for free. Even if it was stolen.

Hardison knew what he was capable of, and he knew how to overplay his insecurities which still found their way into his mind. Was he really good enough, or would he find a hacker out there who would kick his ass and prove that the great Alec Hardison wasn't as good as everyone believed? Did the team really understand how much they needed him, or did they believe he was replaceable?

Of course Hardison would never share those thoughts with anyone. Why would he? Self confidence was a safe wall behind which he could hide. In a joking way, he would demand respect, would remind the team over and over again what he did for them every single day, hoping they wouldn't notice that he really needed the encouragement he was asking for.

Things had gotten a little easier when friendships had started to develop between the teammates. He could feel a bond uniting them that was strong, that wouldn't easily be destroyed by arguments, and, even though neither of them would openly admit it, it was clear they would stay a team. Because alone, they were good. Together, they were brilliant.

Things had gotten complicated again though as he had started to develop another kind of feelings for one member in particular. Why exactly he had to feel that way for Eliot of all people was still a mystery to Hardison, and the stronger the feelings got, the more confused he was, having absolutely no idea how to respond to them.

What was he supposed to do? A long time ago, he had learnt that he could control a lot, with the exception of feelings. Those just did what they wanted to do, and he could only suppress and ignore them. Which worked less and less, with every passing week. Working together on a daily basis made avoiding each other impossible.

So what else could he do? Hardison knew Eliot was smart. He might not be able to see right through people the way Nate could, but the hacker was sure the other man had already figured out something between them was changing, that Hardison was treating him differently. He had to act, and he had to do it fast if he didn't want things to get more difficult or, even worse, awkward.

The friendship just meant too much to him. In fact, even though he would never admit it, Eliot's friendship had always been the most important one to him. That was the main reason why he had tried to impress him even more than the others, had tried to teach him, had almost desperately tried to make the hitter understand how complex his world really was.

He couldn't ruin this precious friendship with confusing feelings. Mentally shaking his head at himself, Hardison switched off the computer game with which he had tried to distract himself, but had royally failed. Concentrating was difficult lately. Doing so while he knew Eliot was busy in Nate's kitchen, knowing that the rest of the team wouldn't show up at the headquarters for another couple of hours, made it close to impossible.

Hardison knew he had to do something, had to make the first step. Working up the courage for that was one of his biggest challenges though. How did one approach a friend? How did one tell the person that there were feelings which didn't have anything to do with friendship anymore? Especially if said person could snap him in half so easily? Of all the 7 billion people in the world, he had to fall for the one person who would probably beat him up the moment he even hinted at the feelings he had for him.

Closing his eyes, Hardison took a deep breath. It had to be done though. He couldn't avoid the topic any longer. Eliot would beat him up? So be it. At least the truth would be out by then.

Working up as much courage as he could, he left the couch. With hesitant, yet fast steps, he made his way over to the kitchen. Eliot didn't look up, although the hacker knew he was very well aware of his presence. He always was. No one could sneak up on him.

“Um...Eliot, you...got a minute?” he forced himself to ask. “'Cause...I think I...we...need to talk about...something.”

Eliot nodded slowly. “Sure. Talk.” He looked up briefly, offering an encouraging nod before he turned his attention back to the kitchen counter. Hardison watched how he cut vegetables in thin slices for a moment before he sighed.

“I...well...” Mentally, he groaned at himself. This was not a good way of having such a conversation with someone. He wasn't a baby anymore, or a high school boy. He was a grown up man after all.

“See, you surely noticed already that...I've been behaving a little...odd lately,” he started.

“Guess so,” Eliot answered, still without looking up. Hardison couldn't deny he was grateful for that: maybe talking to the man's back was easier than talking straight to his face, to see the disbelief in his eyes that would quickly be replaced by rage.

“Well, I ain't that way for no reason, you know?” He sighed again. “It's just that...I mean, I gotta say...”

Once again, Hardison's voice trailed off. At this point, nervousness was fighting with frustration, caused by his incapability of simply speaking his mind. For once, he wished to be like Parker, and could just blurt out what he had in mind, not caring at all what others would think.

“You never really did that before, huh?” Eliot asked then, interrupting his thoughts.

“Huh?” Hardison looked up in confusion, finding himself facing his friend now. He couldn't say he liked the smirk that was slowly spreading across the other man's face. A knowing smirk. Knowing smirks were never good. Not when he was the one who offered it.

“Why'd you not just tell me what you got in mind?” Eliot wanted to know. “You think I'm gonna bite?”

“Um...” Hardison felt like an idiot. A trapped idiot, because he couldn't help the feeling that his friend knew more than he was supposed to at this point.

“Am I really that scary?” Eliot asked. Hardison pressed back against the kitchen counter as the man slowly made his way over to him. This was not how he had expected this conversation to turn out. Then again, what he had expected wasn't anything he wanted to see happen either.

“Nah, you ain't scary, man,” he forced himself. “Not unscary either of course, but...yeah.”

“Unscary?” Eliot shook his head at him. He stopped a couple of inches in front of him then, curiously raising an eyebrow as he added, “Why don't you just tell me, huh? Promise I won't bite. Or hit you.”

Hardison wasn't so sure about that. He knew there was no way out anymore though. Eliot would make him confess, if he wanted to or not. He had made the first step, and now had to deal with the consequences.

“Think I got feelings for you,” he blurted out then. Squeezing his lips shut again, he held his breath as he waited for any kind of reaction.

“What a surprise. I had no idea,” Eliot stated, his smirk widening.

“Really, man?” Glaring in response, Hardison tried to overplay his almost overwhelming relief, caused by the fact that no violent reaction seemed to be ahead for him. “Sarcasm? That's hard. You got any idea how hard that was for me?”

“Wouldn't have been so hard if you weren't that unsure of yourself,” Eliot replied, with a more serious expression this time.

“That got nothing to do with insecurity,” Hardison replied, slightly distracted again as Eliot made yet another step into his direction. “It's just...saying something like that ain't easy. For most people at least. Especially when they gotta say it to you.”

“So I am scary, huh?” At this point, Eliot's face wasn't more than a couple of inches away from his. Hardison gulped.

“Well...a little, yeah. And...distracting,” he admitted.

“Then we gotta work on that self confidence of yours I'd say,” Eliot said. “First lesson: stop being afraid. You gotta learn to be honest to people. No matter what the consequences might be.”

Hardison snorted. “Yeah, easy to say. Not sure it's a good idea if the consequences might be someone tearing you apart.”

“What about consequences like this?” Eliot asked back, and before Hardison could react in any way, the man's lips pressed against his, in a short but heated kiss. The sensation made the hacker speechless, sent his mind spinning instantly. It was different to what he had expected. It was much better. So much better.

“How about that?” Eliot asked then.

“Guess I like it,” Hardison stated, with a slightly goofy smirk. “You think you'd do that again?”

Eliot just grinned in response, and this time, Hardison didn't hesitate to kiss back.

\-----------------------

The wind was strong and cold, creeping under his clothes as he leant against the railing of the bridge, taking in the skyline of Chicago. Years had passed since the team had met in this city for the first time, had done their first job together.

When he had agreed to do the job, Eliot had believed it wouldn't be too different from the other ones. Little had he known how much it would change. He had joined a team, had become part of a family.

As he took in the sight in front of him, he felt a strange feeling of contentment. He had learnt a long time ago that people could change, were responsible for their choices, and could rethink decisions.

How much he had eventually changed still never failed to amaze him. He blamed the team for that, one person in particular, and he couldn't thank them enough for that.

A smile lit his face as he felt said person approaching from behind then. He would never learn to stop making so many noises when he walked.

“Can't believe the team's splitting up again,” Hardison stated as he joined him at the railing.

“It's no split up,” Eliot replied. “Just a little break. We all need it. No jobs, no stress. Nate and Sophie deserve a decent honeymoon. And Parker wanted to tour around the world to visit her favourite museums for quite a while. In a couple of months, we'll be back, doing what we're best at.” He looked up, seeing how Hardison nodded slowly in response. He could feel the man's doubts, his hesitation towards Nate's idea. They had agreed they all needed a little break, but would stay in contact and get back together as a team sooner or later. They always did after all. His boyfriend knew that. Yet he didn't seem pleased.

“What are you scared of?” Eliot decided to ask then.

Hardison hesitated for another moment before he shrugged. “Don't really know what to do now, to be quite honest. I mean...yeah.” 

He wanted to say more, but once again didn't have the courage to do so. In fact, Eliot was surprised they had travelled to Chicago in the first place. It had taken Hardison weeks to speak out his wish. He wanted to visit his Nana, together with him, to introduce his boyfriend to the woman who had raised him. They had arrived a week ago, and Eliot had realised the second he had shaken the woman's hand that his own nervousness had been completely unnecessary. The famous Nana was a confident, honest, but loving person: exactly the way Hardison had always described her. Staying at the woman's house felt like being home.

“You don't know what to do next?” Eliot asked then. “Shouldn't that be a 'we' by now? Or are you still too unsure of yourself to understand that I'm not gonna run off with the next best stranger?”

“I just thought...I don't know...” Hardison looked more uncomfortable by the second, knowing he had been caught once again.

“I like your Nana's idea, you know?” Eliot said. At Hardison's shocked look, he explained, “Yeah, I overheard your little talk. I like it. It'd be nice to stay with her for a while, and then move into that old apartment of yours. It's not far away from her house, so we could visit her whenever we feel like it. Chicago is a nice city, too. Could be a good new home. At least until the team gets back together.”

Hardison's eyes widened even more. “Seriously? You're suggesting to...move in with me? Out here in Chicago? Close to my Nana's house?”

“That's such a big surprise for you?” Eliot asked back.

Hardison nodded. “Oh yeah, man. It is.”

Rolling his eyes in response, Eliot shook his head. “You know, it wouldn't be so much of a surprise if you finally started to believe in this relationship.”

“I do believe in it!” Hardison defended himself. “I just...don't see why...I mean...” He groaned. “Gosh, I do wonder why you don't have enough of my rambling yet.”

“Oh, I don't know, could be 'cause I love you?” Eliot asked back. “Told you so already, didn't I? You think you're the only one who means it when he says it?”

“'Course not.” Hardison swallowed hard, once more looking embarrassed. “Just...this feels too good to be true at times, you know? You got any idea how often I imagined this? When Nate said we'd take a break...I hoped you and I'd spend it together. That I could take you to Chicago to visit Nana. That we could just relax together a little. No stress, no nothing. I wanted it so much that I believed it'd be too good to be true if you liked the idea at all.”

Once again, Eliot felt the urge to roll his eyes, resisted to do it though. He knew Hardison was serious about his relationship issues, still feared that somewhere along the line, he would get tired of the hacker, would go looking for someone else. Eliot had always felt that the hacker didn't have as much of a big ego as he was trying to make the others believe. How insecure he really was had only come to the surface after they had eventually gotten together. He had believed that he would be the hesitant one in the relationship, but had been proven wrong. 

Said relationship had turned out to be entirely different to what he would have ever dared to imagine. Hardison was surprisingly protective of him, would always be there if he needed something, would find the right words to comfort him after a nightmare, without making him feel weak or vulnerable after displaying the demons in his mind so openly. In those moments, he was able to show his strength and confidence. But then, there would be those moments of insecurity, when Eliot had to remind him that he truly cared, that the hacker's feelings were definitely mutual.

“You know what?” he asked then. “Why don't we go and do that shopping your Nana wants us to do? Then we can plan how we wanna do this. Like how long we wanna stay at hers, when we wanna move into your old place, when our stuff should be delivered. Requires quite a lot of planning.”

“I don't mind.” Hardison stared back at him in silence for a while, a thoughtful expression in his eyes, before he added, “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you, too.” He smirked. “And you should believe me. Might have to kick that ass of yours otherwise.”

Hardison laughed in response and, no longer appearing hesitant and unsure. Eliot knew the insecurity would return, but he would be there to reassure his boyfriend. Just like the man would always be there to offer support when needed. It was the way a relationship worked after all. They were together in this.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I DON’T own anyone or anything. I DON’T own the characters. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit.


End file.
